Tour Details
Duration
3 hours
Product Type
Tour
Venues
Akihabara
Photos & Highlights
- Learn about the role subcultures play in Japanese popular culture
- Led by an expert in Japanese pop culture
Select a date
Tour Description
On this 3-hour Akihabara tour, you will explore Tokyo's hub for otaku, providing a closer look at one of Japan’s most misunderstood subcultures. Otaku is a term for devoted enthusiasts, most often of manga (comic books), anime (cartoons), and video games: cultural products that are now seen as an inescapable part of life in contemporary Japan. Rather than a museum of any kind, Akihabara is a living marketplace, grouping stores of all types that cater to the fandom surrounding manga and anime. As you visit this unique shopping district, you'll peel back the layers of contemporary Japanese culture, developing a richer understanding of the origins of otaku and placing the phenomenon in the greater context of Japanese society.
Please note: This tour covers mature themes. For audiences 12 and under, we recommend Tokyo Pop Culture Tour for Kids. See the FAQs below for more information.
Experts
Your walk in the Akihabara neighborhood begins with a history of the area. Today, Akihabara is celebrated for its arcades, female cosplayers, and anime and manga-related goods. It was a different story after WW2, when the neighborhood was the place to go for electrical appliances, particularly radios. Small retailers crammed in under the railway lines to sell their products, often at cut-rate prices on the black market. You’ll see some of these remaining vendors, selling every type of electronic gadget imaginable, as well as spare parts and products that will take you back in time.
There is much more to otaku than just anime and manga, which your guide will help to convey. You will see an array of collections, each with a particular subset of fandom: dolls, board games, trains, Pokémon cards, and even military otaku. You may also discuss the creative nature behind this fandom: people do not wish purely to consume but also to create and give back to the otaku world.
Depending on your group’s interests, you might also dive into one of the most striking aspects of otaku culture—cosplay, or costume play—by visiting a theme café. These cafes, which feature waitstaff dressed in costume, draw on fantasy characters and interactions drawn from manga, anime, and computer games popular in Akihabara. During our time in the café, we will experience the rituals and customs of these establishments.
At the end of our dive into the streets of Akihabara, we’ll come away with a deeper knowledge of the roots of otaku culture and how it applies to so much more than just anime and manga.
- You're an anime and manga lover interested in immersing yourself in the Japanese Otaku Culture
- You’re hoping to discover the Akihabara neighborhood through the eyes of a local expert
- You’d like to know more about the Otaku culture before diving into other venues or museums
- Akihabara - It is primarily seen as the center of modern Japanese culture and the main shopping area for video games, anime, manga, and electronics. Icons from popular anime and manga abound in advertising everywhere.
We understand that some of our valued guests may have mobility concerns, and we want to ensure you have a comfortable and enjoyable experience throughout your anime tour in Tokyo. If there are any accessibility concerns that your tour guide will need to be aware of, please let our team know at the time of booking.
Is this walk appropriate for kids or teens?
This can certainly be adapted for teens, which may mean opting out of certain themed cafes and shops. For kids under 13, we have designed a special experience appropriate for younger audiences, the Tokyo Pop Culture Tour for Kids.
Is this tour suitable for visitors with mobility issues?
This tour is walking intensive and visitors with mobility issues should reach out to us to ensure we can alter the Akihabara tour to accommodate their level of mobility.
Is it okay to tip my guide in Japan?
This can certainly be adapted for teens, which may mean opting out of certain themed cafes and shops. For kids under 13, we have designed a special experience appropriate for younger audiences, the Tokyo Pop Culture Tour for Kids.
Is this tour suitable for visitors with mobility issues?
This tour is walking intensive and visitors with mobility issues should reach out to us to ensure we can alter the Akihabara tour to accommodate their level of mobility.
Is it okay to tip my guide in Japan?
Yes. Context clients generally tip anywhere from 10-25% of the purchase price of a personal service such as this, depending on the quality of the experience and their tipping habits.
Where You'll Start
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140 Reviews
Reviews can only be left by Context customers after they have completed a tour. For more information about our reviews, please see our FAQ.
The guide was very well-informed and provided interesting information. We did not enjoy the maid cafe experience, especially after the content of the tour explored the darker side of Akihabara. The guide seemed to have a relationship with the cafe and did not have to pay for food/drinks, which left us wondering if she and the cafe had an arrangement to funnel tourists through it. The cafe experience should have been presented as optional, and the cafe experience should have been fully explained before our group was taken there.
Virginia
Reviewed on:
Jun 27, 2019
The guide was very well-informed and provided interesting information. We did not enjoy the maid cafe experience, especially after the content of the tour explored the darker side of Akihabara. The cafe experience should have been presented as optional.
Virginia
Reviewed on:
Jun 27, 2019
I really wanted to like the tour, as we just came from the other Context Tour (Architecture with Hugo), but the quality/knowledge of the tour guide was well below standard this time.
Hide was very nice but the whole tour was just him taking us to store after store for us to look at. There was never a thorough explanation of how these stores fit into the Otaku culture other than the fact that it was a part of it. So truly, what we got was nothing that was described on the website at all. We learnt nearly nothing more than what we would have if we went to those stores ourselves. If anything this tour should be made less expensive than the architecture tour.
Justin
Reviewed on:
May 22, 2019
